Gavi a doubt for Barcelona’s La Liga meeting with Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is likely to miss Monday’s La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano after failing to recover fully from a knee injury suffered in the opening-round fixture against Elche CF.

The Spain international was absent for Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Athletic Club on Thursday, having not recovered in time to feature. He also missed the club’s group training session on Sunday, increasing doubts over whether he will be available for the meeting with Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona are continuing to assess Gavi’s condition before making a final decision on his involvement. According to Mundo Deportivo, manager Hansi Flick will monitor the midfielder’s progress over the coming hours before deciding whether he can take part.

However, several reports suggest Flick may decide not to risk Gavi against Rayo Vallecano, particularly so soon after the player sustained the injury. The midfielder was hurt after suffering a knock during Barcelona’s first-round match against Elche CF.

Barcelona explained the nature of Gavi’s injury last Monday, issuing a medical update after the player underwent tests.

“Gavi has suffered an injury to his right knee, and medical examinations carried out on Monday morning have confirmed that it is only a bruise,” the club said in a statement.

The club added: “He is expected to return to training soon.”

Those findings indicated that Gavi had not sustained a serious injury, but his continued absence from collective training means his availability for Monday’s match remains uncertain. Flick is therefore expected to take the final decision shortly before the game, with the possibility of keeping the midfielder out to avoid aggravating the problem.

Barcelona began their defence of the La Liga title with a convincing 5-0 win over Elche CF in the second round of the competition. They followed that result with a 2-0 victory against Athletic Club on Thursday.

The two wins have given Barcelona six points from their opening matches as they pursue another La Liga title. Gavi’s potential absence would remove one of Flick’s midfield options for the next fixture, although the club’s medical assessment has described the problem as a bruise rather than a more serious knee injury.

For now, Barcelona will continue to follow the midfielder’s recovery before confirming whether he can face Rayo Vallecano. His failure to train with the main squad on Sunday suggests he is more likely to sit out the match, but Flick will assess the situation again before the final decision is made.